Educational Psychology, Glossary

Glossary EPC 695B abstracting, abstracting ability: Refers to one's ability to use abstract, symbolic thought, as differentiated from concrete or literal thought. acute: Current; currently visible; related to the present or recent past; not chronic. affect: The outward, often facial, manifestation of subjective feelings or emotions. agnosia: The inability to recognize and name objects despite intact sensory function. The individual receives the sensory impression of the object but is unable to interpret it. agoraphobia: A morbid fear, and intolerance of, unfamiliar surroundings or open spaces. akinesia: Lack of movement. alogia: Lack of thought content, inferred from lack of verbal productions. ambivalence: Vacillation between or among two or more thoughts or feelings; indecision, perhaps to a pathological extent; also, coexistence of contradictory feelings or impulses toward something. amenorrhea: Absence of menses. anergia: Loss of strength or energy; feeling a loss of strength. anhedonia: Loss of interest or pleasure in everyday activities that the individual usually enjoys. An inability to experience pleasure. An inability to experience pleasure. anorexia: Loss or decrease in appetite accompanied by inability to eat; refusal to eat. anterograde memory loss: The inability to remember and retrieve new information. anti-cholinergic: (an′tē-kol-i-ner′jik) Antagonistic to the action of parasympathetic or other cholinergic nerve fibers; slows electrical impulses in nerve cells. anxiety: A feeling of apprehension or uneasiness, similar to fear, due to the anticipation of internal or external danger. The source of the danger, in some definitions, is unknown. In psychoanalytic theory, the danger stems from threats *usually unconscious) to the ego. anxiolytic: Refers to the amelioration of anxiety; as a noun, a class of medications that relieve anxiety such as benzodiazepines. apathy: Marked lack of interest or motivation. aphasia: An inability to understand or produce language, not related to sensory (e.g., deafness) or motor (e.g., dysarthria) deficit, in any of its forms - reading, writing, or speaking - that is due to injury or disease of the brain centers involved in language. aphonia: Inability to speak or produce normal speech sounds. apnea: Cessation of breathing. apraxia: The inability to carry out motor activities that the individual was previously able to perform. This deficit occurs in the presence of intact motor function. arylcyclohexylamine: Any of a class of psychoactive substances, which include phencyclidine (PCP). associations: With respect to thought process, the relationship (normal or abnormal) between one idea or thought and the next (see also Tangential, Loose Circumstantial, Clang). asterixis: A neurological sign characterized by flapping of the hands, associated with toxic or metabolic encephalopathy. ataxia: Muscle incoordination, especially affecting gait. athetoid: Refers to slow, regular, twisting motion of limbs. autistic: Refers to autism; refers to marked disturbances in relating to, and apparent unawareness of, other and one's environment. autonomic: Refers to normally involuntary innervation of cardiac and smooth muscle tissue (e.g., internal organs). avolition: Lack of initiative, especially for goal-directed activity. belle indifference: An apparent indifference to symptoms that would be expected to elicit worry or distress (also La Belle Indifference). benzodiazepine: A class of antianxiety and hypnotic medications. bereavement: Grief over a loss. bestiality: See Zoophilia; also, the practice of sexual activity with nonhuman animals. biopsychosocial: Refers to the multi determinate nature of psychiatric syndromes and disorders, and to multi determinate approaches to their understanding and treatment. blocking: An interruption of communication before a thought or idea has been completed, caused by psychological factors that are unconscious or unknown to the individual. blunting: With respect to affect, marked reduction in normal intensity. bulimia: Episodic, usually uncontrollable eating binges, usually accompanied by ingestion of large amounts of foods. Self-induced vomiting or diarrhea is characteristic. butyrophenone: A class of antipsychotic medications. binge: Excessive eating beyond the amount necessary to satisfy normal appetite. cannabis: Marijuana. cardiac neurosis: The fear or erroneous belief that one has heart disease; also a feeling of physical incapacity related to past heart disease, out of proportion to one's actual disability, or to fear of having a heart attack. cataplexy: Diminished responsiveness, often trance like; may be related to organic or functional disorders or to hypnosis. includes waxy flexibility. cataplexy: Episodic loss of muscle tone, often to the extent of falling and often triggered by strong emotions. catatonia: A psychotic syndrome that refers to any of several striking motor anomalies, including muscular rigidity, a lack of response to outside stimuli, periods of acute agitation, stupor, negativism, or posturing. cause: Two phenomenon are correlated and one produces the other. For example, a client's increased irritability and lability are caused by a tumor in the frontal lobe. cerea flexibilitas: Waxy flexibility. choreiform: Writhing. chronic: Long persisting; not acute or limited to the present. circadian: Refers to 24-hour biological rhythms. circumstantial: When referring to thought process, describes conversation or a train of thought that wanders from the point but eventually returns to it. clairvoyance: The experience or feeling of being able to sense others' thoughts (not usually considered psychotic). clang: With respect to associations or thought process, speech or train of thought largely governed by sound or rhyme rather than logic (e.g., "Turn on the light, tight, bright; bright enough to bite. Watch out for biting dogs"). CNS Depressant: In pharmacology, refers generally to central nervous system sedation (does not refer to depression of the mood). complex Tics: Tics that involve more extensive behaviors than simple motor tics (e.g., grooming behaviors, coprolalia). compulsions: Unwanted repetitive behaviors or mental acts that a person feels driven to perform, often in response to an obsession. concordant: In genetics, refers to a characteristic or trait found in two genetically related (especially twin) animals or people. concrete: Refers to literal thought, as differentiated from abstract, symbolic thought. confabulation: Creation of inaccurate memories or fabrication, unconsciously, to substitute for unrecalled events. congenital: Present at birth, but not necessarily implying genetic or familial transmission. conjugal: Refers to marital, especially sexual, relationships. constricted: With respect to affect, a reduction or circumscribing of range and/or intensity. constructional apraxia: Loss of the ability to produce or copy drawings, shapes, or designs. continence: The ability to control voluntarily one's urination or defecation. conversion: Refers to a physical symptom or dysfunction that unconsciously expresses an emotional conflict or need (cf., conversion reaction). coprolalia: The involuntary utterance of socially unacceptable or obscene words. coprophilia: Reliance on feces as a primary source of sexual gratification. correlation: The degree to which two separate phenomenon vary together. For example, a client becomes more irritable when he has a cold. covert: Hidden. cross dressing: Wearing clothes that are normally associated with individuals of the opposite sex. The term is usually applied to men who wear women's undergarments, dresses, blouses, etc. defense mechanism: See neurotic defense mechanism. delirium: An acute, organically caused brain disorder characterized by confusion and altered consciousness. delirium tremens: A sever, life-threatening delirium caused by withdrawal from alcohol. delusion: A fixed, false belief not ordinarily accepted by other members of an individual's culture. In DSM-IV, a bizarre delusion is one that involves very unusual or completely implausible elements. A delusion of reference is one in which elements in the environment, such as comments from the news media, have particular significance and/or refer to oneself. dementia: An organically caused mental disorder characterized by loss of previously held mental abilities, including intellect, memory, and judgment. depersonalization: A strong feeling of not being oneself or of being detached from oneself or the environment. depression: A sad, despairing, or discouraged mood; such a mood or feeling sufficient to be a symptom or a mental disorder; a syndrome (e.g., Major Depression) characterized by depressed mood. derailment: A disorder of thought process in which one's thoughts unexpectedly and inappropriately leave the topic. Similar to loose associations. derealization: A strong feeling of strangeness or detachment from the environment or from reality. dereistic: Refers to feelings or thoughts that are grossly illogical, not in accordance with reality. DIMS: Disorders of Initiating and Maintaining Sleep (one of the four main categories in the diagnostic classification system of the Association of Sleep Disorders Centers. Diplopia: Double vision. disorganized behavior: Behavior that is not goal-directed or guided by any rational, preconceived plan, and may appear random, disconnected, or odd. disorganized speech: Speech in which the client's statements are not logically connected to each other and the content of the speech usually makes no sense. Loose associations, derailments, and incoherence are examples of disorganized speech and, presumably, disorganized thought. Diurnal: Daily. Dizygotic: Refers to feelings or thoughts that are grossly illogical, not in accordance with reality. DOES: Disorders of Excessive Somnolence (one of the four main categories in the diagnostic classification system of the association of Sleep Disorders Centers). dyslexia: A disorder of reading characterized by difficulty learning to read despite routine instruction, normal intelligence, and adequate opportunity to read. dysmenorrhea: Irregularity or other abnormality of menses. dysmorphophobia: Preoccupation with an imagined defect in appearance; Body Dysmorphic Disorder. dysphonia: An impaired ability to create or understand sounds. dysphoric: Uncomfortable, painful. dyssomnia: A disorder of sleep whether organic or functional. dystonic: With respect to movement, refers to involuntary, often painful or disfiguring muscle contractions; also, not in agreement with (see also egodystonic). echokinesis: Pathological imitation of another's movements. echolalia: A repetition of a recently heard sound or phrase. Often the client repeats the last words spoken by the interviewer. ego: Refers to one's personality; in psychoanalytic theory, a major part of the (largely unconscious) psychic apparatus, which is primarily responsible for defense mechanisms. ego-alien: Foreign to one's view of oneself. ego boundary: The conceptual delineation between oneself(especially one's perception of oneself) and the external world. ego-dystonic: Thoughts, affect, and behavior elements of an individual's personality that are considered unacceptable and inconsistent with the individual's total personality or self-identity. ego-syntonic: Consistent with an acceptable view of oneself. empathy: Being aware of another's feelings as if through that person's eyes (e.g., putting oneself in another's shoes). encapsulated: Circumscribed, well delineated (e.g., referring to delusions; see also fragmented). endogenous: Arising from intrapsychic causes (see also reactive). entitlement: An unreasonable expectation, communicated to others, that one is special and deserves favored treatment. erotomania: A delusion of idealized, secret romantic love, usually involving a famous or highly visible person. etiology: Cause. euphoria: A feeling of extraordinary happiness or well-being. exacerbate: Make worse. executive functioning: Higher cognitive functions such as planning for the future, organizing, abstracting from concrete examples using inductive reasoning, etc. expressive: In language, refers to the construction, production, and expression of communication, largely words. factitious: Artificial, contrived, or deceptive. Refers to symptoms or disorders voluntarily produced by the patient for unconscious reasons (separate from Malingering). familial: Transmitted within families, not necessarily genetically (see also hereditary congenital). fetish: A body part or nonliving object not ordinarily associated with sexual excitement that nevertheless causes inordinate sexual arousal in an individual; the condition of being attracted to such an object. first-degree relative: In genetics, a parent, full sibling, daughter, or son. flagellation: Beating, usually whipping, with a sexual, religious (e.g., absolving), or self-punitive context; slang for masturbation. flashback: An intense, dissociative experiencing of a pat event or feeling; may be reality based or substance induced. flight of ideas: Rapid movement from topic to topic, out of proportion for ordinary conversation, usually verbal. florid: Highly visible, unmistakable; "in full bloom." Folie a Deux: A delusion that develops in an individual who is involved in a close relationship with another person who already has a psychotic disorder with prominent delusions. The individual comes to share the delusional beliefs of the psychotic individual. fragmented: Not whole poorly circumscribed (e.g., referring to delusions; see also encapsulated). frottage: The practiced of getting sexual stimulation and satisfaction from rubbing against something, usually another person. fugue: A period of amnesia during which an individual appears to be conscious and makes rational decisions. The individual has no memory of the period on recovery. functional: Usable; able to function; with respect to psychiatric disorders, refers to those not associated with known or presumed anatomical physiological or other "organic" causes. Gamma Alcoholism: An alcohol abuse syndrome characterized by the inability to stop drinking once one begins. Ganser Syndrome: A dissociative syndrome occasionally seen under conditions of isolation or incarceration. gender identify: One's personal assumption of, or identification with, his or her maleness or femaleness. Globus Hystericus: Emotional feeling of a "lump in the throat." grandiose: Refers to size or importance greatly out of proportion to reality. Gran Mal: A form of seizure including both loss of consciousness and generalized movements (also Grand Mal). hallucination: A sensory experience in the absence of external stimulation of the relevant sensory organ. Hallucinations are separate from thoughts, feelings, obsessions, and illusions, and are experienced as if they were real. hallucinogen: A substance that induces hallucinations. hallucinosis: Hallucinations during clear consciousness. Hebephrenic Schizophrenia: A non-DSM-IV term for Schizophrenia, Disorganized Type: Hebephrenia connotes inappropriate, shallow, silly affect and behavior. hemiballismic: Refers to gross, irregular movements of large parts of the body. hereditary: Having to do with genes and/or chromosomes; genetically transmitted (see also familial, congenital). homosexuality: Persistent adult sexual preference for members of one's own gender, whether or not accompanied by a homosexual lifestyle. Persistent homosexual preference should be differentiated from occasional homosexual or bisexual fantasies or behavior among adults, and from ordinary, transient sexual play or experimentation among children and adolescents. hostile-dependent: A situation in which one's dependence on someone or something engenders guilt, irritation, or inconvenience in the dependent individual, leading to anger against the other person or the object. As a personality trait, refers to a person who is routinely dependent on others but also hostile toward them because of the feelings and conflicts associated with that dependency. hyperactivity: Excessive motor activity that is seen in Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. hyperacusis: Over arousal; hypersensitivity to sensory stimulation, especially sounds. hypervigilance: A condition of emotional and physiological preparedness, to an unnecessary extent, in anticipation of an anxiety-producing stimulus. hypnogogic: A semiconscious state occurring immediately preceding sleep during which hallucinations may occur. hypnopompic: A state of arousal occurring immediately preceding awakening during which hallucinations may occur. hypnotic: In pharmacology, a medication to induce sleep. hypoxyphilia: The practice of strangling or suffocating oneself, almost to the point of unconsciousness, for sexual stimulation. hysterical: Histrionic; also, refers to a Conversion Disorder (Briquet's syndrome); having flamboyant, superficially stereotypic gender characteristics; frightened or panicked to the point of being out of control. (Note: The many meanings of this disorder in clinical and lay settings often make its understanding in any one context difficult). ictus: A seizure ideas of reference: Ideation, often short of a delusion, that occurrences or objects in the environment have particular, special meaning for oneself. identity: The sense of self, providing a unity of personality over time. idiosyncratic: Characteristic of one individual; limited to one person. illusion: The misperception or misinterpretation of an external stimulus, differentiated from hallucinations by the presence of some form of sensory stimulation. immediate memory: In the mental status examination, the portion of memory that exists a few seconds after an event (e.g, repetition of words or numbers immediately after they are spoken by the examiner). impulse: A sudden, difficult-to-resist urge or drive to perform an act that often results in a sense of relief or release of tension. incidence: In epidemiology, the number of new cases that occur over a given period of time (see also prevalence). incontinence: Inability to control urination or defecation. infibulation: Piercing the skin, especially for sexual reasons. interictal period: The time between seizures (the ictus). insufflation: "Snorting" or sniffing, as with powdered cocaine. involutional: Refers to the menopausal or postmenopausal period of life, especially depressive disorders arising at that time. Jacksonian: In epilepsy, seizures with localized convulsive movements without loss of consciousness. Kleine-Levin Syndrome: Episodic hypersomnia, beginning in adolescence and associated with bulimia. klismaphilia: Reliance on enemas as a primary source of sexual gratification. Kluver-Bucy Syndrome: Primitive impulse-control symptoms associated with memory defect and other changes, caused by loss of both temporal lobes. Korsakoff's Psychosis: A psychosis characterized by confabulation, often related to chromic alcoholism (See also Wernicke's Encephalopathy). La Belle Indifference: See Belle Indifference. labile: Rapidly shifting; unstable. lacrimation: Tearing. leaden paralysis: Heavy, leaden feeling in the arms and legs. Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome: A metabolic defect associated with Mental Retardation. limited symptom attack: In Anxiety Disorders, a single or small number of symptoms of anxiety that do not meet DSM-IV criteria for Panic Attacks. loose; loose associations: With respect to associations or thought process, lack of logical connection between one's thoughts or ideas, usually expressed in confusing conversation. Similar to Derailment. macropsia: The illusion or perceptual state in which objects seem larger than they actually are. magical thinking: The belief that one's thoughts or behavior will affect the environment in some way separate from natural cause and effect. malingering: Symptoms or disorders that are voluntarily produced for conscious reasons of personal gain (separate from factitious). melancholia: Severe, anhedonic depression (implies an endogenous source). metaphorical language: Idiosyncratic communication meaningful only to those familiar with the speaker's (e.g., a child's) past experience. micropsia: The illusion or perceptual state in which objects seem smaller than they actually are. milestones: The significant accomplishments of human growth and development (e.g., walking unassisted, speaking in sentences), especially the ages at which they occur. Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOI): In psychopharmacology, a class of antidepressant medications. monozygotic: Refers to multiple fetuses (e.g., identical twins) developed from a single zygote. mood: Breadth of sustained emotion (e.g., sadness, euphoria); a pervasive and sustained emotion. mood congruent: Apparently consistent with the mood being exhibited (e.g, mood-congruent behavior, mood-congruent delusion). mood incongruent: Not consistent with the mood being exhibited. morbid: Occurs during or after an exacerbation of a disease; severe, predisposing to serious illness or other problems (e.g., morbid obesity). multiaxial: Refers to several classes of information used n psychiatric evaluation. DSM-IV uses five axes, the first three of which constitute the official diagnostic assessment. Munchausen's Syndrome: A factitious (i.e., voluntary but unconsciously motivated) disorder or set of symptoms. Myoclonic: Refers to irregular, brief, usually generalized muscle contractions. narcissism: Focus on and regard for oneself, to either a healthy or abnormal extent. To the abnormal extent, it is the excessive love or investment in oneself with the corresponding inability to love another or be empathic to their concerns. narcotic antagonist: A drug that counteracts the physiological effect of a narcotic. necrophilia: Reliance on dead sexual objects (in reality or fantasy) as a primary source of sexual stimulation. negative symptoms: With respect to Schizophrenia often subtle but pervasive absence of normal thought or behavior, as differentiated from presence of abnormal symptoms. Negative symptoms including absence of normal affect or social interaction, as differentiated from presence of hallucinations or delusions. negativism: Active or passive resistance, for example, to movement (as in catatonia) or to verbal responsiveness (as in autism). neologism: A "word" invented by an individual, often having an idiosyncratic meaning. neuroleptic: In common usage, refers to antipsychotic medication; also, a neuroleptic medication. neurotic: Refers to internal, unconscious conflict; also refers to a neurosis (e.g., a neurotic disorder or conflict characterized by unconscious defense mechanisms). neurotic defense mechanism: An unconscious pattern of feedings, thoughts, or behaviors designed to prevent or alleviate anxiety that stems from internal conflict. The presence of this pattern -- in combinations called defensive systems-- is generally normal and adaptive but in many people it reaches maladaptive proportions. Examples include denial, displacement, intellectualization, projection, rationalization, reaction formation, and undoing. All defense mechanisms involve repression, which is the mechanism by which the person prevents unconscious material from reaching awareness. Some writers describe some defense mechanisms as voluntary. Lists of defense mechanisms vary from text to text. nihilistic: Refers to nonexistence or lack of existence (e.g., of oneself). nodding off: Sedation or a sense of drowsiness that occurs after the initial experience of a high with an injection of an opioid such as heroin. nonrestorative sleep: Sleep that does not satisfy one's need for sleep. nystagmus: A specific, rhythmic motion of the eyeballs, sometimes in response to certain neurological tests. obsessions: Recurrent, intrusive, and anxiety-provoking thoughts, impulses, or images. opioid: In pharmacology, any class of drugs or other substances with actions similar to opium (e.g., heroin, meperidine). overt: Open, easily seen. palilalia: Pathological repeating of one's own sounds or words. parallel play: In young children, play with another child, but not involving interpersonal interaction. paranoid: Thinking and behavior is pervasively suspiciousness, with mistrust of other people and their motives. Paranoid individuals constantly scan the people around them in an attempt to detect behaviors or comments directed toward them that they consider to be injurious. An old term for Delusional Disorder. paraphilia: Any of a class of recurrent, intense, pervasive sexual urges or fantasies that are associated with psychosocial dysfunction and/or are not socially acceptable; commonly synonymous with sexual deviation. Sexually arousing fantasies are commonly associated with: (1) nonhuman objects, (2) suffering or humiliation of either partner in the sex act, or (3) sexual activity with a nonconsenting sex partner. parasomnia: Disorders in which the predominant disturbance is an abnormal event occurring during sleep. paresthesia: Numbness or tingling, usually of the extremities. partialism: In paraphilias, focus on specific nonsexual parts of the body as a primary source of sexual stimulation. passive-aggressive: Unconscious aggressive impulses manifested in passive ways (e.g., by obstructing progress or purposeful inefficiency). pathognomonic: Refers to a symptom or sign that is found in only one disease or disorder, and in no other. pathological intoxication: Intoxication, generally from alcohol, in response to only a small amount of intoxicant, and out of proportion to that amount. pathophysiology: Organic abnormality related to disease. pavor nocturnus: Sleep terror. perseveration: Persistent, often rhythmic repetition of words or ideas, not generally controllable by the individual. personality trait: Enduring patterns of perceiving, relating to, and thinking about the environment and oneself, exhibited in a wide range of social and personal contexts. pervasive: Broadly and comprehensively found; involving all or almost all things. Petit Mal: A form of seizure that involves loss of consciousness with impulsive movements (also Petite Mal). phenomenologic: Refers to descriptions or descriptive characteristics. DSM-IV descriptions of disorders are often phenomenological (i.e., based on observations) rather than etiological (based on cause). phenothiazine: In psychopharmacology, a class of antipsychotic medications. phobia: A persistent, irrational, morbid fear of an object or an activity, recognized by the individual as unreasonable but nevertheless leading to significant avoidance of the phobic object. phoneme: The smallest identifiable unit of speech sound (e.g., r, sh, th, ch, dg, j, f). piloerection: Stiffening or raising of the hair on one's body. polydrug abuse: The use of more than one drug at the same time (e.g., heroin and cocaine; hallucinogens and anxiolytics). postpartum: After delivery of one's child. poverty of speech: Restricted quantity of speech. Differentiated from poverty of speech content, which implies adequate quantity but little information. premorbid: Before the onset of illness. preoccupation: A repetitive, often continuous thought or focus of one's thoughts (See also obsessive). presenium: The period just before old age. pressure of speech/pressured speech: Accelerated, often loud and emphatic speech which I difficult to stop and may continue even in the absence of a listener. prevalence: In epidemiology, the number of cases present in a population at or during a particular tine (see also incidence). primary gain: The unconscious gratification, from alleviation of neurotic conflict, that motivates neurotic behaviors (e.g., somatoform symptoms) (See also secondary gain). prodromal: Premonitory; preparatory. prognosis: A prediction of the outcome of an illness or disorder, based on clinical experience with similar cases. pseudodementia: A dementia-like syndrome not actually related to organic illness. pseudologia fantastica: Telling of elaborate, intriguing lies. psychoactive: In pharmacology, having some effect on the psyche, emotions, or psychiatric/psychological symptoms. psychogenic: Caused by the emotions or psyche. psychomotor: A combination of physical and mental functions. psychomotor agitation: An abnormal increase in physical and emotional activity. Continuous activity (often with pacing, wringing of the hands, or inability to sit still) related to emotional distress. psychomotor retardation: General slowing of emotional and physical responses. psychosocial: Refers to a combination of psychological and social factors or interventions. psychosomatic: Refers to the interaction between the mind and body, especially illnesses in which emotional disorder or conflict gives rise to, or significantly affects, physical signs or symptoms. Closely related or identical to psychophysiological, in which physiological mechanisms are affected by emotional factors. psychosis: A syndrome that includes one or more of the following symptoms: delusions; hallucinations; or disorganized speech, thought, or behavior. The thought disorders commonly include deficits in higher intellectual or executive functions such as the capacity to make and carry out detailed plans. psychotic: Refers to serious impairment in reality testing, with inaccurate perceptions and/or thoughts about external reality (implying the creation of a new, internal reality). purge: Emptying the stomach by induced vomiting or the bowels by induced evacuation with enemas or laxatives. querulous paranoia: A delusion of injustice that one feels must be remedied by legal action. reactive: Refers to symptoms associated with, or exacerbated by, one's external environment (as opposed to the intrapsychic environment); more specifically, emotional symptoms that change (e.g., get better or worse) with changes in the external environment (see also endogenous). recent memory: In the mental status examination, memory for items or names 3 to 5 minutes after hearing them. receptive: In language, refers to the taking in, processing, and interpretation of sensory input, generally words. reciprocal play: In children, play that involves interacting with another child. reflex memory: See immediate memory. remission: Abatement of symptoms, commonly to the point at which no indication of disease is present (but it is not considered cured). remote memory: In the mental status examination, memory for items or events that occurred in the distant past. residual phase: When referring to psychiatric illness, the part of the course in which acute or florid symptoms are no longer present. rhinorrhea: Nasal discharge. ritualistic: Refers to an activity, usually repetitive, employed for a magical or anxiety-relieving, often idiosyncratic purpose. "Rum Fits:" Seizures precipitated by alcohol withdrawal. rumination: Obsessive repeating of a thought or idea; in infants, regurgitation and reswallowing of food. rush: An immediate high that occurs shortly after an intravenous injection of an opioid such as heroin. scanning: A condition, often associated with hypervigilance, in which a person tries intensively to be aware of his or her environment, in fear or anticipation of an anxiety-producing event. scapegoating: In families or groups, the involuntary appointing of one member to represent the pathological characteristics of the group. scatology: Lewd or obscene speech or humor, especially related to excrement. seasonal depression: Depression whose symptoms are regularly associated with a particular time of year, usually winter (Seasonal Affective Disorder). secondary gain: Indirect gratification or reward, not consciously sought, from illness or symptoms. Easily confused with "primary gain" and with direct rewards for malingered symptoms. seizure equivalent: Motor, sensory, autonomic, or emotional feelings or behavior that are ictal in nature. Also call Epileptic Equivalent. Self-esteem: Regard for oneself. Self-image: One's mental picture of oneself, particularly with regard to strengths, weaknesses, expectations, and ethics. senium: Old age. sensory: Related to the senses (e.g., sight, smell, touch); differentiated from motor. sign: A manifestation of a pathological condition observed (directly or indirectly) by an examiner rather than subjectively experienced by the individual. Separate from symptoms. simple schizophrenia: A non-DSM-IV classification that refers to a form of schizophrenia without florid symptoms. simple tic: Reasonably delimited tics, such as eye blinking grimacing (see also Complex Tic.) sleep apnea: Any of several physiologically based conditions in which one stops breathing while asleep. sleep paralysis: Inability to move just before falling asleep, or just after awakening. sleep-related myoclonus: Myoclonus that occurs exclusively during or is related to, sleep. sleeptalking: A non-REM parasomnia similar to, and probably related to, sleepwalking. somatic: Refers to the body or human biology. somatization: The expression of psychological pain through physical symptoms or concerns. somatopsychic: Refers to psychological symptoms caused or exacerbated by somatic illness or injury. somnambulism: Sleepwalking. speech melody: The intonation or inflection of one's speech. "speedball:" Any of several combinations of abusable drugs, especially cocaine and heroin mixed in a syringe. stammering: An impairment in speech fluency similar to stuttering. startle response: A condition, often related to hypervigilance in which an individual reacts abruptly, and out of proportion, to a minor physical stimulus. stereotyped movements: Motor activity that is persistent and mechanically repetitive, such as rapidly flapping or moving the hands back and forth or repeating the same sounds. Stereotyped movements are generally voluntary but without purpose. stressor: An event or stimulus that produces a psychological, emotional, or behavioral stress response in an individual. stuporous: Physically and verbally unresponsive, especially because of an illness, intoxication, injury, or altered state of consciousness. subacute: Having the potential to become acute; likely to become acute. superego: In common usage, the conscience, in psychoanalytic theory, that portion of the psyche formed by identification with and introjection of parental characteristics that foster ethics, empathy, and self-criticism. surrogate: Substitute. symbolic: Substituting for a real feeling, memory, object, or event. In a psychodynamic context, the thing symbolized is unconscious, and the symbol may bear only an indirect relationship to it. sympathomimetic: Refers to a substance whose action mimics that of the sympathetic nervous system. symptom: n outward manifestation of pathological condition, perceived by the patient, especially subjective complaint. syndrome: A group of symptoms and/or signs associated with each other (but no necessarily occurring at the same time), sometimes suggesting a particular disorder or diagnosis. tangential: Refers to thoughts or words that depart from the current train of thought in an oblique or irrelevant way. terminal insomnia: Awakening significantly earlier than planned, with an inability to return to sleep. thought broadcasting: The delusion that one's thoughts can be heard by others. thought insertion: The delusion that others have placed thoughts in one's mind. thought withdrawal: The delusion that thoughts have been removed from one's mind. tic: An involuntary, intermittent, rapid, spasmodic, stereotyped motor movement or vocalization. Tics may be simple or complex. Simple motor tics include eyelid and eyebrow twitches, blinking, abrupt head jerks or shoulder-shrugging, and grimaces or twitches of the mouth or face. Simple vocal tics include barks, coughs, grunts, and snorts. Complex motor tics include grooming behavior such as smoothing the hair, touching or hitting various parts of the body or other objects, and foot stamping. Complex vocal tics include echolalia, coprolalia, and the repetition of words or phrases out of context. tolerance: In pharmacology, physical habituation to a drug (prescribed or not), leading to loss of its effect unless the dose is increased (not synonymous with addiction); generally, loss of effectiveness of a particular treatment or stimulus at its current level. toucherism: Frotteurism, but sometimes distinguished from Frotteurism by its fondling characteristics. "trailing:" The auditory illusion that sounds echo or persist. trance: A nonorganic alteration of consciousness, produced voluntarily (e.g., during hypnosis) or involuntarily (e.g., during a dissociative disorder). transsexualism: One's deep and persistent belief that one's physical gender is inappropriate, and that he (or, more rarely, she) should be of the opposite sex. It is accompanied by marked gender dysphoria and a near-constant wish to change one's gender. Transsexualism should be differentiated from transvestism and ordinary homosexuality. transvestic fetishism (transvestism): A paraphilia in which cross-dressing (e.g., a male wearing typically female clothing) is prominent; should be differentiated from transsexualism and homosexuality. trichophagy: The mouthing or eating of one's hair. tricyclic: In psychopharmacology, a class of antidepressant medications. unconscious: Out of awareness; not under voluntary control; that part of the psyche not available to voluntary control of awareness. urophilia: Reliance on urine as a primary source of sexual gratification. vertigo: A feeling o dizziness, usually including the sensation that one's environment or oneself is spinning. visual tracking: following objects with one's eyes. voluntary: Under conscious control. vorbeireden: A psychological symptom involving giving approximate answers or talking past the point, done consciously in Factitious Disorder and unconsciously in Ganser's syndrome. waxy flexibility: A symptom of catatonia characterized by the ability of an examiner to move the patient's body or limbs into different positions, which are then held indefinitely by the patient (also Cerea Flexibilitas). Wernick's Encephalopathy: Central nervous system dysfunction due to thiamine deficiency, as in chronic alcoholism (part of the Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome). zoophilia: Reliance on sexual activity with nonhuman animals (in reality or fantasy) as one's primary source of sexual stimulation.